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loosey

loosey

4 9.1
Relaxed about rules or limits
  • adjective
  • /ˈluːsi/
  • Informal
: laxo
  • The instructor's loosey style allowed students to explore ideas without strict guidelines.
  • loosey-goosey

So that's a little too loosey goosey, we might say.

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Examples

  • So that's a little too loosey goosey, we might say.

  • Many consider the professor to be loosey-goosey, as he rarely enforced strict deadlines.

  • But, yeah, we're leaving this one a little loosey goosey.

  • We don't want to use this term in part because it's a little bit too loosey goosey or ambiguous.

  • I know you're used to loosey-goosey, but I run a much tighter ship.

  • During the casual meeting, the agenda was kept loosey-goosey to encourage open discussion.

Synonyms

loose
vsloosey
138 3.0

Not strictly organized or controlled, often a group of separate people

is informal and focused on relaxed discipline rather than general disorder
lax
vsloosey
39 4.6

Not strict enough about rules or work

is informal and relaxed in enforcement rather than merely careless
lenient
vsloosey
31 4.4

Not strict about rules and punishment

is informal and casual in enforcement rather than showing mercy

Antonyms

51 3.6

Training people to follow rules, often using punishment or strict control

2 3.4

Being very firm about rules and making people follow them

How Strict

rigid
70 4.2
strict
371 3.2
loosey
  • Informal
4 9.1
lenient
31 4.4
permissive
  • Jargon
14 4.9

Surface Forms

loosey positive

Morphology

loosey = loose (transparent) = loose + y

Informal adjectival formation from 'loose' with '-y' meaning 'characterized by being loose/lax', easily inferred by learners familiar with 'loose'.

Etymology

Loosey comes from loose with -y, meaning 'not strict' or not tightly controlled. That's why a manager or a rule called loosey is relaxed and not strict about details.